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NEC Launches New Linux-Based Fault Tolerant Server

Wednesday November 17 2004 @ 04:02PM EST

NEC Solutions (America), Inc., a premier provider of integrated solutions for the Connected Enterprise in North America, announced the availability of a fault tolerant version of the Linux operating system that is available on the NEC Express5800/320Lb fault tolerant server. NEC's new Linux-based high-availability server and operating system delivers up to 99.999 percent continuous uptime featuring not only the highest level of availability in the IT industry from any major enterprise manufacturer, but the added benefit of lowering total cost of ownership.

Designed to support mission-critical business operations and database services that require 24-hour uptime, the NEC Express5800/320Lb is the ultimate platform for uninterrupted system operation. The Express5800/320Lb hardware dual-modular architecture ensures continuous system operation in the case of a hardware failure. The NEC Fault Tolerant Linux operating system was built on the 2.4.18 Linux kernel, enabling any Linux application running on that kernel to run in fault tolerant mode with no modification to the software.

Larry Sheffield, senior vice president of the Solutions Platform Group for NEC Solutions America believes that a Linux-based fault tolerant server solution is critical for organizations looking to maximize system uptime.

"At NEC we pride ourselves in offering our customers the best and most innovative technology products on the market," said Sheffield. "NEC is the only major enterprise server manufacturer that combines the power of fault tolerant servers with a hardened version of the Linux operating system for use in the general server market place. By offering this combination to our customers, we're providing them with a natural platform for mission critical Linux applications that will not go down."

More of the market is beginning to use Linux for its high availability needs through deployments in basic infrastructure and high-performance computing to a variety of database, general purpose and line of business applications. When a Linux OS meets 99.999 percent hardware availability, additional benefits of flexibility, reliability, efficiency and reduced costs come into play. For example, as retail corporations and e-commerce sites approach the holiday season, they need to operate around-the-clock with 24/7 access to inventory and sales records, as well as offer 24/7 support for customers, sales staff and partners. A Linux-based high-availability solution enables retailers to deploy additional servers easily and cost-effectively while maintaining the level of operation and support necessary to meet and surpass their holiday business goals.

"The Linux server market has been growing rapidly, at double-digit rates, showing 49 percent year-over-year revenue growth from Q2 '03 to Q2 '04, and 38 percent unit-shipment growth over that same period," said IDC analyst Jean S. Bozman, research vice president of IDC's worldwide server group. "This pattern of growth implies that more powerful Linux-based systems are in the mix in 2004, and that their use has evolved beyond basic networking and infrastructure tasks. Although Linux servers rate well in terms of their reliability, they are increasingly being adopted for enterprise workloads, where uptime is critical for business success."

Key Features

The NEC Express5800/320Lb is offered with a far more reliable Linux OS, which is optimized for the fault-tolerant architecture with redundant virtual I/O drivers for instant failover, Linux support for the hot swap of I/O and CPU modules along with support for dynamic resynchronization of memory and processors. The Express5800/320Lb features 2 Intel Xeon MP 2.4 GHz processors each with a 400MHz system bus and 512KB second cache memory module, enabling expansion of up to 3GB memory and up to 311.1GB of hard disk drive space that supports Ultra 160 SCSI. These components are duplicated in separate CPU and PCI modules for synchronized operation, with a total of two modules each housed in a 4U chassis to enable redundant operation and higher uptime.